77 Afghan insurgents killed in 24 hours: defense ministry

Kabul, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Up to 77 militants have been killed and 27 others wounded during series of operations across the insurgency-plagued Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, the country's defense ministry said in a statement released on Saturday.

"Afghan troops backed by aircrafts launched series of operations in different provinces over the past 24 hours, as a result, 77 militants including 17 Islamic States (IS) fighters have been killed, 27 injured and seven others arrested," the statement said.

The operations that covered parts of Nangarhar, Kunar, Nuristan, Kapisa, Paktika, Khost, Logar, Kandahar, Zabul, Oruzgan, Kunduz, Faryab, Takhar and Helmand provinces during which weapon caches have also been discovered.

Similarly, Taliban militants attacked an Afghan army checkpoint in Ab Kamary district of the western Badghis province early Saturday and captured eight soldiers, provincial governor Mohammad Anwar Eshaqzai confirmed.